TOM Olbison is determined to hit the ground running from the off in 2017 after admitting he underperformed for much of last season.

The homegrown Bulls forward last week signed a new one-year deal that will take him to a decade's service at Odsal.

Although he ended last term in fine form, helping Rohan Smith's to Championship Shield glory, Olbison is honest to admit he was off the pace in the opening months of the campaign.

The 25-year-old said: "I'll admit myself that I didn't have the best start or middle to last season. I honestly couldn't tell you why I wasn't hitting my straps earlier in the year.

"Even at the end of the season, I still think I could have been a bit better. I'm a grown man and it's up to me to take it upon myself to do something about it.

"In our game, it's never through a lack of trying – it's just sometimes it doesn't happen for you. It sounds daft but you might not be trying as hard and then something falls for you."

Pleasingly for Olbison, he rediscovered his form in the latter stages of the campaign to earn his new deal.

The former East Leeds amateur was instrumental as the Bulls ended a disappointing regular-season campaign by lifting the Championship Shield.

Olbison impressed during his team's run to the final against Sheffield and proved his worth with some strong displays at loose forward.

The long-serving forward, who ended the 2016 campaign with 29 appearances and six tries, said: "I started to get back to my former and better self towards the end of the season.

"But I still know in my own mind and for my own pride that I've got to be better than what I showed at the beginning of the year. I've accepted that and it's just about acting upon it now and getting stuck in.

"Ripping into pre-season will give me the best chance of getting myself physically right and then I'll do all the rugby stuff come game-time."